Trades still in store for Cubs? Players prepared for anything

Saturday

For the second day in a row, manager Lou Piniella said he doubted the Cubs were going to make a deal before Tuesday’s non-waiver trade deadline.

Given the unpredictable nature of the Cubs and their ever-changing roster, it’s not a given they’ll stand pat.

Players are preparing for anything.

So when Triple-A Iowa outfielder Matt Murton and right-handed pitcher Rocky Cherry were summoned into manager Buddy Bailey’s office Thursday night and learned they were promoted, there were a few uneasy moments for the two.

“My first thought in my head was, ‘Oh, man, I’m getting traded,’ ’’ Cherry said Friday. “There has been a lot of trade talk and rumors going around. Murton’s playing real well, and no one knew what they were going to do with him. So I thought we were getting traded. I was wondering what team I was going to.
“I was happy to hear I was coming up here. I’m glad to be here. It turned out better.”

Murton had similar thoughts when he entered Bailey’s office.

“In this game you never know ... it’s a business,” Murton said. “But I’m glad that didn’t happen and I’m back. This team is in the playoff hunt and have been playing real well the last couple of months.”

The Cubs sent catcher/first baseman Jake Fox and pitcher Billy Petrick to Iowa to make room on the roster for Murton and Cherry.

Murton, who hit .252 with eight RBI in 49 games with the Cubs before he was sent down, was batting .331 with six homers and 27 RBI in 39 games for Iowa. He had a six-RBI night Wednesday against Colorado Springs.

This is Cherry’s third call-up this season. He’s 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA in nine major league relief appearances. Cherry’s second stint with the club was cut short on July 1 when he was sent to the disabled list with a right lat strain.

“There have been so many things going on that you can’t expect anything or you can’t predict anything,” Cherry said. “You just have to roll with the punches.”

Wood sharp again

Kerry Wood (shoulder tendinitis) was sharp in the second of his back-to-back rehab appearances for Class A Peoria, working a 1-2-3 inning Friday against Dayton. He struck out one, threw 13 pitches and his fastball was clocked as high as 94 mph.

If his arm feels all right after the back-to-back games, he’ll likely head to Double-A Tennessee or Iowa for more work and could be back in early or mid-August.

Miller backed up

Wade Miller, who is also fighting through right shoulder problems, will have his next rehab appearance pushed back a few days after he gave up seven runs in three innings Wednesday for Tennessee. He said he’s not sure when and where he will pitch next, but he’s not giving up.

“I’m not making great strides like I would like to,” Miller said. “But I’m not going to stop now. I’ll go up there and keep throwing and hopefully turn the corner.”

Mack mad about Maddux

Reds interim manager Pete Mackanin managed the Peoria Chiefs in 1985 and ’86. In his first year there, one of his pitchers was Greg Maddux.

“I was directly responsible for his success,” Mackanin deadpanned. “You could see back then that he was going to be a major league pitcher, but I don’t think you could have predicted then he would be a Hall of Famer.”

Mackanin also joked that he hopes Maddux will mention him in his Hall of Fame speech.

Short hops

Cubs radio play-by-play announcer Pat Hughes missed calling his second straight game Friday night because of the stomach flu. Cory Provus filled in for Hughes. ... Catcher Jason Kendall started his second game in a row. ... Rehabbing pitcher Juan Mateo (shoulder) gave up seven runs in 4 2/3 innings for Iowa against Colorado Springs on Thursday.

More Cubs coverage can be found online at www.dailysouthtown.com/sports

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